Rotary engine



J. :VIGLIANO ROTARTENGINE t'u d Jan, 23, 1920 s' sheets-s eet 1 ju -@5192; x "1,451,951"- ne| |ANo' I v I ROTARY ENGINE mad Jan. 25. 1920 s sb eet s- -sheet s Patented done 5, i923,

.rosnrn 'vromano," or new Yonx, n. Y.

ao'raav mama.

Application filed ,l'aniiary 28, 1920. Serial No. 858,434;

To all whomitmay concern:

Be it known that I Josnrrr"VIoLIANo, a

citizen of the United states, and aresident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in R0- tary Engines, of which the following is a specification. a I

The present invention relates to internal combustion engines, and more particularly to rotary motors- The main object of the invention .is to provide an engine of the type mentioned which is of comparatively light weight in proportion to the amount of power that it is capabio of developing, and one that consists of few simple parts which are adapted to be readily manufactured and assembled.

Another object of the invention isto provide a rotary engine having a cycle of operations that corresponds substantially to the 'four-stroke cycle, with all the advantages of the reciprocating-piston engines without the disadvantages inherent in the constructions of the latter. i I I With these and other objects .in 1 view, which will more fully appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the combination, arrangement and construction of parts hereinafter.

described, '1 pointed out in the appended claim and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that-"gany changes maybe made in thesi'ze and propor-1 construction within the' sc'ope of the appended claim, without deparfing: from ,the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Oneof the many possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a central vertical section taken, through a rotary internal combustion engine:

constructed in accordance with the present invention; Fig.2 is a top plan view thereof, partly in section; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the'same, the casing and being removed; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the rotary eleinent of the engine, certain parts being re-. moved therefrom in order to more clearly show theconstruction; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the said rotary element, on a larger scale.

In the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates a stationary cylindrical casing, on the heads 4 motor shaft.

11 of which are formed bearings In these hearings is-rotatably journaledashaft 13, carrying outside of the casing aflywheel 14. The shaft passes centrally Q0 through the engine casing and has fixedthereto, for instance 'by a key 15, a rotary member 16 in'the'form ofa drum. The cylindrical portion of this rotarymember is disposed 'concentrally withthe cylindrical '85 portion of the casing, whereby an annularchamber'l? is formed. To the drum are fixed, or there may be made integral therewith, a plurality of, equidistantly spaced radially extending vanes18, the outerends 70.

of which are in sliding contact with the in-' her face 15 the cylindrical wall of the casl'ng, packing strips 19 being mounted upon said outer ends forthe 'well known pur ose.-.

The vanes extend'substantially throng iout the length of the drum and co-operate with radiallyextending vanes 20, which. are slidably disposed upon the drum within the chamber 17. These vanesare provided at their outer and inner ends with packing strips 21 and 22, respecti ely, the former being in contactwith the inner face of the cylindrical wall of the casing, and the pack. 3 2 mg str1ps22- in contact withthe outer face v of the drum 16. Each slidable ,vane 20 is, provided with arc-shaped flanges 2 3 upon .its ends. Adjacent flanges on the ends of theslidable vanes are adapted to-overlap, as clearly shownv in i Fig. 5 of the drawings.

.;The. flanges-form the end-members of the tion-of'the several parts and details of.

chamber 17, whichis divided. by the vanes into a plurality of compartments, each being tween these ports is disposed an igniting dcvice 26 oflany suitable construction, for in-' stance a s ark plug, that is connected by a wire 27 wii vice, not shown,- and adapted to make electricalcontact with a timing device of any suitable construction, that is carried by the .Each sliding vane two radial inwardly extending projections 28, carrying pins 29, thatiare seated in slots '30 of levers'31. These levers are fulcruined at 32 to the hub 33 of the drum, their inner ends being adapted to coact with a cam 34, 510 that is fixed to one of the heads 11 of the stationary casing of the engine.

h a-suitable stationary contact de- 20 is provided with 1 06 bustible 0 radiating ri s much U on each flange ofjthe sliding vanes is rigi ly mounted a lug 35, adapted to cooperate with a spring-pressed pawl 36, pivoted at 31" to thestationary casing 10 and projecting into the pathof the said lugs.

The casin 10 is provided with exterior 38, the engine shown being of the air-cooled type- The operation of the engine is as follows :'As above stated, the -engine.'-opera tes underTiour-stroke cycle, that is to: say a working period tolowsignitiol'i .of the echarge', followed by exhaust, char 'ng, and

compression periods. In the casei ustrated in the. d'rawirigathere are eight fixed vanes and eight sliding vanes provided, each pair of vanes,' with the casing, and drum, corresponding to an engine cylinder. Inasonthe engine, there will result eight ignitions during each complete revolution of the rotary element.

Before the levers 3110f a sliding vane reach the cam 34, the said vane is in contact with the fixed vanevin rear thereof. When a compartment passes the intake port 24,

' result that ,the said sliding vane is caused vane. has just passed the spark 'plug 26. When in this positior uthe pawls 36 have.

to move toward its stationary vane,-t-hereby compressi-ngthe charge, the full point of compression beingobtainedwhen the fixed just ridden ovcr'the lugs 35 on the sliding vane. The elements -are' shown .in these positionsin Fig. 1 of the drawings, at which point ignition takes place. The gases re,- sulting from, the ignition of the combustib'le mixtures-tact on the vanes, tending to separatethe same. Inasmuch as the movable vane -i".prevented by the pawls 36 y from moving backwards, the entire 'force' of the explosion will be spent on the. fixed vane. andconsequently on the, shaft 13.

as a single spark plug only is mounted.

After explosion, the movable vaneis caused again he. d um leaving the compartment through theexto partake of the motion of gasesmaybe aided by causing the movable vane to advance toward-the'fixedvane by a cam, not shown, actin the products of combustion haust port 25 as the said compartment passes theport. If necessary, the expulsion of the upon the levers 31'. 1 It is obvious that suitab e scavenging means .may becmployed. This'm'eanshas not'been. shown as-it does not form part of the present invention. .The next com artment in the series repeats then What Iclaim is A rotaryinternal combustion engine, comprising a stationary cylindrical hollow body, a sha fixed to said shaft within said disposed concentrically therewith, fixed ra dial vanes on said drum having their outer ends in sliding contact with the' inner .face of said; 0 .hndrical body, a corresponding number 0 vanes carried by and slidably arthe eye e lof. operaticinl i now described, and so on. In this manner -a series of eight impulses will be imparted to the shaft 13 duringeach revolution thereofi:

t centrally mounted thereon, a drum body and ranged on said drum, the outer ends of the I last mentioned vanes being in contact with the inner their inner ends in contact with the outer face of said drum, said fixed and slidable vanes being arranged alternately and each slidable vane being providedwith arc-shaped flanges on its ends, adjacent flanges on the slidable vanes being adapted to overlap and thus forming compartments in co-operation with said cylindrical body, drum and two sets of vanes, said cylindrical body being provided with port, an ignition device between said'po'rts', a lever engaging each sliding vane pivoted to said drum, a fixed cam co-operating with said levers for causing each sliding vane to"- -reduce thesize of its compartment after it has passed said inlet port, and means for preventing a backward motion, at the time of explosion, of each sliding vane, said fixed and sliding vanes moving always in the same direction;

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,-this 3rd day'of January, 1920. g

- JOSEPH VIGLIANO.

face of saidcylindrical body and an inlet port and an exhaust 

